Father Robert began his ordained life as a Franciscan in the Roman Catholic church, leaving that tradition in 1996 for reasons of conscience. He served as Assistant Rector at St. James Episcopal Church in Hendersonville, NC from 1999 to 2006.  Father Robert was called to be Emmanuel’s Rector and began his ministry here in April of 2006.

Father Edwin was ordained a priest on June 29, 2008 at our diocesan Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, having been sent to The (Episcopal) Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Tx. by Bishop Alexander in 2005. Roswell, Ga. was the Beckham's home prior to Austin, where Fr. Edwin worked in software training & documentation and his wife Laura taught high-school English literature. Laura & Edwin have also lived back in their hometown of Greenville, S.C. (where son Simon was born); in Silver Spring, Md. (where son Eliot was born while Fr. Edwin was pursuing grad studies in U.S. civil rights history); and, right after their 1991 marriage, in Athens! Indeed it was Emmanuel parish that shepherded them through inquirers' classes and sent them off to be confirmed by Bishop Frank Allan in spring 1992.

At Emmanuel Fr. Edwin supervises youth and young adult ministries and delights in fully sharing the liturgical, preaching, teaching, and pastoral responsibilities of the clergy staff. He enjoys dancing with his wife but doesn't do it enough; worries that he'll never come close to Simon & Eliot's skills at chess, guitar, soccer, and video games; gets downtime by putting his canoe onto a river for several days & nights; and loves music, from The Clash to The Chieftains, U2 to Hildegaard von Bingen, Woody Guthrie to Aaron Copland, and R.E.M. to John Tavener. Look for him on Facebook, Twitter (@ComradeBecks), and at pilgrimofsorts.blogspot.com.

My name is Melissa Fulcher. I love my work here at Emmanuel as Parish Administrator. I have been married to a great guy, Ricky, for 25 years. We have two children. We built a new home in Oconee County on five acres of land, and we are enjoying the countryside. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my grandson, Tristan, who is the joy of my life.

My name is Karen Holland. I perform all the bookkeeping functions for Emmanuel Church along with helping out with projects for the staff and church members. I am married to a wonderful man, Greg, with a stepson, Keith. I have a son, Joshua, who, because of a car accident, is now quadriplegic. I am blessed to have both my parents and my grandfather (93yrs old) living here in Athens. Their love and support keep me strong through the difficult times. When time permits, I enjoy gardening and playing with the dog.

Amy has been directing the day school since the fall of 2002.  She holds a bachelors degree from Rutgers College in New Jersey and holds a Child Development Specialist certificate.   In 2005 she was one of the first in Georgia to complete the Early Childhood Program Administration program at Flint River Technical College. She has recently become certified to teach early childhood continuing education classes. Amy has been an active volunteer in the PTO for over 10 years, holding many offices including President.  She has taught parenting classes at two Mother's Centers and women's support groups at her church. 

Amy lives in Oconee County with her two sons and her husband Bill, a UGA professor in the College of Education.

After receiving an M.A. in Religious Studies from UGA and an M.T.S. from Emory University, Matthew worked for a 100+ year-old non-profit, The Council for Spiritual & Ethical Education. In that capacity, he developed curriculum, led conferences and trained teachers in the areas of religious studies and ethics education. Matthew has published in the areas of spiritual formation and religious education. He lives in Athens with his wife Angie and two daughters, Caroline (4) and Kate (3).

Denise is the mother of three children. She lives presently in Comer. Denise is originally from the Winder-Athens area. She likes to play the piano and sing gospel songs.